Family Affairs
by TheLostMaximoff
Summary: Sequel to 'Shadowboxing' and 'Double or Nothing'. Just how far would you be willing to go for a family member, especially when you're from a family like Cassandra Cain's? TimxCass fic.
1. Cut You Down

Family Affairs

By TheLostMaximoff

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters. Like the summary says, this is the third in the "Shadowboxing" trilogy (or more) so I'm working off of the continuity I established with it. I hope you guys like it.

The rain came in cold sheets that sometimes managed to slip in between the bars on his window, depending upon which way the wind was blowing. David Cain sighed as he lay on his bed and stared at the ceiling. The rain was making a puddle on his floor. After spending almost three years in prison, Cain was used to this. Three years and Blackgate still couldn't brick up one stupid window. It was either a testament to the overall slowness of the entire penal system or a testament to how much the staff at Blackgate wanted him to go insane. Cain didn't exactly care anymore as to which of his theories was the truth.

"Visitor," said the guard. Cain knew it would be his lawyer. No one else had come to visit him in these long, lonely years. He still held out hope that perhaps one day he'd get a different visitor but alas today was not that day.

"I'm afraid I have bad news, Mr. Cain," said the lawyer. David sat up to look at the man. He enjoyed it when people got right down to business. It was the way he liked to work although he hadn't been able to ply his particular trade since he had been locked up. Sure there was that one prisoner who hadn't believed all the hype surrounding David Cain, hadn't believed that he was one of the world's greatest assassins. Cain had merely broken a few of the convict's bones before the man was willing to revise his opinion. However, Cain hadn't killed the man even though the urge was very hard to resist.

"Go on," ordered Cain.

"You recall that the DA's office solicited your assistance with regards to some unsolved murders," explained the lawyer, "In return, they promised to help cut down the severity of your sentence. There was the possibility that you would no longer be on Death Row."

"I remember," assured Cain, "What's the news?"

"Those attempts have failed," stated the lawyer, "Furthermore, the State has an opening in its calendar. There's nothing more I can do to help you, Mr. Cain. You're scheduled to die very, very soon."

"So you've come here to tell the assassin that it's his time to go?" asked Cain with a smirk, "Seems kinda funny to me."

"I assure you that it's no laughing matter, Mr. Cain," replied the lawyer, "I suggest you make your peace because I believe you have only a week at most and that's a very generous estimate on your part."

"My thanks for your generosity then," assured Cain as he lay back down and returned to staring at the ceiling. The lawyer said nothing as he left. Cain knew this was going to happen eventually. His way was the way of the gun and he knew it was only a matter of time before that gun was turned back on its owner. He had very few regrets concerning the choices he had made in his life. He had very little other affairs to put in order. Cain wasn't a man who could afford personal attachments. Indeed, they were probably only two people he could say he would even miss when it came time for him to leave this world. Neither of those people had spoken to Cain in a very long time. David had very little faith that now would be the time for them to reacquaint themselves with him.

XXXXX

Cassandra Cain couldn't recall a time when she had felt happier. She had a successful crime-fighting career after reassuming the mantle of Batgirl. She had the love and support of the always wonderful Tim Drake. She had finally gained some measure of redemption after her brief stint as the leader of the League of Assassins and then her subsequent exile after turning away from that dark path. In short, Cass couldn't imagine a life any more rewarding than the one she was currently leading.

"Someone's in a good mood today," said Robin as he noticed the smile behind Batgirl's mask. Tim had picked up a few of Cass's tricks since they had begun their relationship and enjoyed using them on her whenever he got the chance. Cass had fussed about it at first, her pouting doing little to dissuade Tim from this new game. Now, she simply took it in stride.

"I am," replied Batgirl honestly, "I like it."

"No argument here," assured Robin with a smile of his own, "Night's still young. You wanna take a walk through the park?" It was one of their favorite things to do. It had been quiet lately. Sure there were the normal crooks to deal with and the occasional costumed one to keep things interesting but lately things had been pretty quiet. Neither Tim nor Cass was one to complain about this good fortune. They had mostly been using this lull to spend more time together.

"Home," replied Batgirl with a shake of her head at Robin's suggestion, "We could watch a movie."

"You're not bored with my collection yet?" asked Robin in disbelief, "I think you've seen them all by now."

"Who says we have to watch?" asked Batgirl. It took Tim all of two seconds to understand the not-so-subtle suggestion that his girlfriend was giving him. Since they had started dating, Tim had discovered that Cass had a love of making out. He suspected that this stemmed from her natural tendency towards action and physical communication as opposed to verbal communication. Cass had given him ample opportunities to gather research on this theory since they had a tendency to make out more often than not when they were alone. At the present moment, Tim couldn't say he minded the idea of cuddling up on his couch with Cass and indulging himself in one of the many wonderful perks that came with a relationship.

"Robin to Oracle," said Robin into his earpiece, "Batgirl and I haven't seen anything unusual. We were thinking of punching out a little early tonight."

"It's a slow night all around," informed Oracle, "You two crazy kids have fun and don't get yourself into trouble."

"Copy," replied Tim, "You know where to find us if anything comes up."

"Will do," assured Oracle. Robin gave Batgirl a thumbs-up as he ended the call. He pulled out his grappling hook and launched it at the corner of a building while Cass did the same. They weren't far from Wayne Manor. A couple good swings put them over the walls of the front gate. From there, they moved under the cover of night to the part of the stables that had been converted into an apartment for Tim. Although Cass still lived in the actual mansion, Tim enjoyed his place and saw it as his own way of attaining some sort of independence while still remaining under Batman's wing.

"I'll pick a good one," assured Robin as he unlocked the door.

"I'll make popcorn," stated Batgirl. She headed around the back, intent on going through Tim's bedroom window so she could change. Robin came through his front door and flicked on the lights.

"Took you long enough," said Batman. Tim almost jumped out of his skin and that was saying something considering all the time he'd spent with Bruce. He quickly managed to return his breathing rate to normal as he took off his mask and unclipped his cape.

"You're getting sloppy too," stated Batman as he judged Robin's reaction with his always critical eye.

"Nice to see you too," said Tim, "Something wrong?"

"I have to speak with Cassandra," said Batman, "It's important."

"She'll be out in a sec," assured Tim, "What's up?" Batman remained silent, a course of action that unnerved Tim. From the look on Bruce's face, whatever the Dark Knight had to say was pretty personal. Tim wondered just what it had to do with his girlfriend.

"Hi," said Cass as she came into the room dressed in one of Tim's dress shirts and a pair of boxers, "Problem?" Batman raised an eyebrow at Cass's attire while she came over and kissed Tim on the cheek. Bruce pulled back his cowl, revealing his face and letting both of them know the seriousness of what he was about to tell them.

"I was told that this news is a few days old," informed Batman, "However, I just heard this tonight. There's really no easy way for me to say this but I feel that you have a right to know."

"Tell me," said Cass. She had a feeling her perfect life was about to come crashing down and that Bruce was the proverbial herald of doom that would set the fall in motion.

"David Cain has been scheduled to die for his crimes by lethal injection," stated Bruce bluntly, "The State would not recant their sentencing even though he provided the DA's office with valuable information regarding several murder cases while he was still on Death Row." Tim felt Cass's body suddenly stiffen in his arms as she tore away from his grasp. Cass tried to understand what was going on. Her father was going to die? Her father was _really_ going to die? She didn't know what to feel. She was angry and sad and she just . . . she felt like screaming.

"I'm sorry, Cassandra," said Bruce. That wasn't good enough for Cass. She clenched her fists tightly and tried not to cry but failed miserably as tears began flowing from her eyes and down her cheeks.

"Cass," whispered Tim as he moved to hug her. She wasn't going to have any of it. She broke away from Tim and ran into his room, slamming the door on her way in.

"You couldn't have done this some other way?" asked Tim as he glared accusingly at Batman.

"I told you that there wasn't an easier way," reminded Bruce, "I'm sorry I interrupted one of your dates but this couldn't keep. We both know that."

"There's nothing we can do?" asked Robin, "I mean we can't get the judge to revoke the death penalty and just leave him in jail?"

"The judge already denied that motion," assured Batman as he pulled the cowl back over his face, "Do you really want to try harder? He's killed over two dozen people, Tim, and those are just the ones the court knows about."

"I know," assured Tim as he sat in a chair and sighed, "I just . . . I mean have you ever seen Cass cry? It's painful."

"Go to her," advised Batman as he moved to the door, "She needs you now." He wished there was something he could do. David Cain wasn't the only father Cass had. Bruce Wayne was her father too and right now, despite the friction between them that still existed, Bruce Wayne wanted nothing more than to use all his skills and resources to make the pain his surrogate daughter felt magically disappear. There wasn't anything he could do though, not this time. This was the ugly side of justice. Even though Bruce didn't endorse capital punishment, he also understood that in his chosen profession you didn't have the luxury of picking and choosing which policies of the law you wanted to uphold and which you didn't. Capital punishment was a necessary evil in his eyes even if he didn't agree with it.

"You ever wonder how such a cruel, evil bastard helped give her life?" asked Robin as he watched his mentor depart.

"Life is full of mysteries, Tim," said Batman sagely as he turned to look at his apprentice before leaving the room, "Some of them honestly aren't worth solving."

XXXXX

She wanted to hit something. She wanted to rip the whole world in two. The sad thing was that Cassandra Cain didn't know why she should care so much that her father was going to die. It wasn't as if he had been a good father to her. He taught her how to kill people for God's sake. What kind of man turned his own daughter into a killing machine? Furthermore, what kind of girl still pitied a man for doing that to her?

"Stupid," snarled Cass as she hit the pillow on the bed, "You're stupid for caring!" Why _did_ she care? She had never cared enough to visit him in prison except once when she wanted information about her mother. She never called him, never wrote to him, never bothered to even think about him more than half the time. So why should it bother her that he was going to die? It never bothered _him_ when _he_ killed people.

"Cass," said Tim quietly as he opened the door.

"Not now!" snapped Cass as she shot Tim a murderous glare that made Tim really wonder whether or not she would follow through on that threat. How much difference was there really between David and Cassandra Cain? Robin remembered how Cass had snapped, had broken under the pressure of losing people close to her and discovering that Shiva was her mother. She had almost destroyed the world out of grief but she had pulled herself up out of the darkness and into the light again. Was this her destiny: to swing back and forth from light to darkness like an out-of-control pendulum?

"Please," whispered Tim. Cass looked at him and saw the apprehension in his stance, the fear in his eyes. She never wanted him to be afraid of her, never again.

"Why?" asked Cass tearfully, "Why does it matter?" Tim was on the bed in a second and quickly enveloped Cass in the biggest, tightest hug he could. Cass returned the gesture with equal intensity and for a few seconds the young couple sat there squeezing each other like sponges.

"You care," whispered Tim, "That's why."

"He was a bad father," explained Cass, "He made me . . . I killed for him. He never cared about me. I was . . . I was his weapon."

"You're not him," said Tim forcefully as he stared into Cass's eyes, "You're not him, you're not Shiva, you're not any of them. You're Cass." Cass let a ragged sob escape her lips as she nodded. She had tried so hard to not be like her parents and tonight was more proof that she was winning the war. She cared about people, even when they were the same people that had tried to turn her into a murderer.

"I want to see him," whispered Cass quietly as she pressed herself closer against Tim, "I want to prove it."

"I'll go with you," assured Tim softly as he kissed her forehead. He held her close, listening to the sound of her breathing. The two heroes held each other for what seemed like forever. Tim had almost nodded off before he realized that Cass was already way ahead of him, sound asleep in his arms.

"I love you," whispered Tim as he tucked Cass into bed after disentangling himself from her. He could make do with the couch for one night. He knew she needed the rest more than he did.

XXXXX

Cass took a very deep breath and braced herself. This was going to be the hardest fight of her life. Forget Shiva or Ravager or even Tim. _This_ was the challenge. Everything else she had done would be cake compared to this.

"I'll hang back," assured Tim, "I'll be right in the room if you need me."

"I know," assured Cass, "Thanks." She squeezed his hand before she stepped into the visiting area. She had only seen places like this on television. The few times she had actually been inside Blackgate Prison, she had taken a very unconventional method of entry. She had also been in costume whereas now she was just in jeans and a t-shirt.

"This way," said the guard as he led Cass over to a chair. Cass reluctantly let go of Tim's hand and followed the guard, sitting in the chair and staring ahead at the large wall of Plexiglas with a little intercom in it so she could talk to her father. Cass hated intercoms. She and her father spoke a different language and they sure as hell couldn't speak it over intercoms. She remembered the last time she had seen her father. It had been Father's Day and she was looking for information about her mother. She had broken into this place as Batgirl and had confronted him. They spent a little while talking, which meant they kicked the crap out of each other. In the end, she hadn't learned much. She wasn't here for information this time though. She was here . . . to talk.

"Dad," whispered Cass as she saw David Cain step into the room. The guards led him over to a chair across from Cass.

"Your conversation will be monitored," assured the guard behind Cass as he turned to leave.

"Doubt it," said Cain as he looked at his daughter and gave her a little smile. He knew she would catch the meaning. The Cain "family", if one could grace it with that term, could say a thousand things with just one movement. Half of what was going to be "said" during this conversation wouldn't be recorded because there would be no words spoken. Both father and daughter knew this.

"You look good," said Cain after a few moments of silence, "New clothes since the last time I saw you."

"Last time was business," reminded Cass as they studied each other intently and saw that both of them were nervous and unsure how to act around the other.

"This time?" asked Cain.

"I heard . . . you were going to die," explained Cass. David Cain shook his head and gave his daughter a sad smile. She truly was the most beautiful failure he had ever set eyes on. He knew it was his own fault. He had pushed her too hard. Eight was still too young for a first kill.

"We all have to go some day, Cassie," assured Cain, "You and I know that better than most."

"Are you sorry?" asked Cass. She knew it was a question that needed to be asked. In all those years, Cass had never tried to imagine what her father was or had been thinking. She didn't want to know what was in his head because she was afraid that everyone had been right all along and David Cain really was the most cold-hearted bastard to ever breathe the air of this world. She knew there had to be more to him than that. Cassandra Cain knew what everyone thought about her, that she was a walking time bomb just waiting to explode. She wasn't that and he wasn't a monster either. She had to see it for herself to know that maybe there was still hope for him and for her too.

"I have my regrets just like any other man," assured Cain, "I'm sorry for what happened to you, Cassie. You were too young and I pushed you too soon."

"You shouldn't have pushed at all," said Cass somewhat angrily.

"A man has to make sure that his legacy is taken care of," explained Cain, "When you have children, you'll understand about things like that." He could tell she was angry. Cain saw in his daughter the same beautiful fury and fire that he had seen in her mother, in Lady Shiva. People could think of his relationship with Sandra Woosan as a business arrangement if that was what they chose to think. Cain had never given a damn about the careless thoughts of others anyway. However, it didn't mean he hadn't loved Shiva. He remembered seeing so much potential in Cassandra when she was born. It was the same potential he had seen in Shiva. David Cain was a man attracted to destruction, to violence and death. He loved what killed.

"I heard you were running with a bad crowd," said Cain.

"I was," stated Cass, "I got better."

"Good," said Cain. People could also think whatever they wanted to about David Cain's feelings towards his daughter. The fact was that he was proud of her despite that she had turned her back on all the plans he had made for her. Parents were parents, no exceptions. All parents were proud of their child's successes.

"I'm proud of you," assured Cain, "You've made a nice life for yourself. You deserve it, Cassie." She stared at her father for a moment as if he had granted her the only thing her heart ever desired, which in a way was true. Had Cass heard right? Was her father really . . . proud of her?

"Really?" asked Cass skeptically. Cain saw the conflicted feelings inside his daughter. She was angry at him for taking away her childhood but at the same time she was happy to gain his approval.

"That's another thing you'll understand when you have kids," assured Cain with a smile.

"I'm seeing someone," said Cass quietly, "Someone from . . . work."

"That boy who came in with you?" asked Cain. Cass nodded. Cain's eyes darkened slightly. He didn't tie himself up in romantic entanglements. Sure, he indulged in the vice of lust and sexual attraction but romance wasn't for David Cain. It dulled his senses and interfered with his work. In a profession such as his, love was a rare and mostly unwelcome occurrence.

"He saved me," explained Cass, "He saved me from . . . the dark."

"You don't need my approval," stated Cain, "You never did."

"Doesn't mean I don't want it," replied Cass, "You're really . . . going to die?"

"My time," reminded Cain as he stood up and turned to go, "Sorry, Cassie." She didn't say anything in reply. A thousand words had been spoken between them. She knew her father was conflicted. He loved her and yet he had screwed up her life so badly. Since the day she had left, Cain walked a tightrope and he was always one misstep away from total collapse. Cass couldn't help feeling like a failure in his eyes. It made her angry because she knew that some part of her father thought she _was_ a failure while another part of him was so proud of her. Cass didn't know what to think but she knew one thing for sure. David Cain needed someone to believe he was a good man. He needed a second chance. Maybe she could help him get it.

XXXXX

It seemed like such a long time since she had been in this city. Nyssa supposed she was grateful to be in any city period. Death always did have an interesting way of putting life into perspective.

"We have been keeping watch over her just as you instructed, Mistress Nyssa," assured the League operative with a bow as Nyssa exited her private jet. Shrike wasn't far behind her, eager to stop the pretense and get down to the real fun.

"Good," said Nyssa, "Cassandra Cain's insolence cannot go unpunished but I wish her to remain somewhat unharmed. I have a different plan in mind for her."

"Mistress, we thought you should be informed of the matter concerning David Cain," explained the attendant as he escorted Nyssa and Shrike to the waiting limousine, "He is scheduled to die this evening."

"Yes, a true shame," agreed Nyssa, "David was a valuable asset to my father and a great boon to our organization as a whole. I wouldn't fear though. Death has funny ways of being circumvented."

"What do you wish of us now?" asked the attendant as the three League members climbed into the limo.

"I believe a tour of the local wildlife is in order," replied Nyssa with a cruel grin, "There is a certain red bird that I for one can't want to hunt down and kill with my own hands."

(Author's Note): More on the way.


	2. A Death in the Family

Family Affairs (Part Two)

By TheLostMaximoff

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters. Thanks to the people who have reviewed so far. Keep them coming.

Nyssa could still hear herself scream. She was haunted by it. That was always the problem. You could train for something your whole life but you couldn't completely eliminate the fear of it. In those few precious seconds, Nyssa Raatko had been afraid to die. However, she did die and if it hadn't been for a sect of very loyal League members and a Lazarus Pit she would've stayed dead thanks to the car bomb that Cassandra Cain had planted. Nyssa wasn't all that mad at the fact that Cassandra had killed her. No, what really irritated Nyssa was the fact that the little upstart had made her experience the fear, the weakness, that she thought had been eradicated from her being. Those with the courage to lead the League of Assassins should never fear death, especially not when they had the blood of Ra's al Ghul flowing through their veins.

"Why waste time with the bird?" asked Shrike as the limo escorted Nyssa to one of the buildings in Gotham that the League secretly owned through various dummy corporations. Nyssa barely considered Shrike's question worthy of a response. However, she felt like being generous today.

"You have spent a considerable amount of time honing your skills after your previous defeat," said Nyssa, "and yet you are still an idiot. I have been keeping a watchful eye on our elusive Miss Cain. The League has a very sizable presence here in Gotham City. Even now, there are half a dozen initiates trailing our every move to make certain nothing happens to me and there are more of our operatives lurking throughout the city. They have been keeping an eye on Cassandra and they have informed me that she has resumed the mantle of Batgirl and that she and Robin have become . . . an item."

"The girl's the one you want though," reminded Shrike.

"In plain terms, yes," replied Nyssa truthfully, "but not in the way your feeble mind sees it. Cassandra was very good at running this organization. I believe there is still a place for her in it if we can . . . eliminate some undesirable influences."

"Kill the bird and reclaim the bat," summed up Shrike, "I get it now."

"I would hope so," replied Nyssa, "Robin turned her from the path of darkness. I believe it's only fitting that his death will be the catalyst for her return to our fold."

"What about Cain?" asked Shrike, "The other one."

"I do not intend to leave him hanging," assured Nyssa, "Come now, Shrike, do you take me for some kind of monster?"

XXXXX

"You're insane," stated Robin, "You are completely insane." Any other person would've taken this declaration with a considerable dose of salt. Cass, however, wasn't exactly "any other person".

"Ow!" said Robin as Batgirl punched him in the arm. She gave him a glare that told him his assessments of her mental health weren't appreciated.

"Don't," said Batgirl. The duo were both perched on top of a building that was part of Gotham's waterfront where the city met with the sea. In the distance, one could see the island that was home to the famous Blackgate Prison. Batgirl had a plan. She knew that her father deserved a second chance. Maybe he had done some bad things but killing him was just wrong too. She knew in her heart it was wrong and she was going to make sure David Cain lived even if it meant she had to take such drastic measures as breaking him out of jail. Cass had hoped that she could get some support from her boyfriend because, apparently, boyfriends were supposed to do things like that.

"I'm sorry about my choice of words," apologized Robin sincerely, "It's just . . . this idea is crazy. Do you realize how much trouble we could get into? You're talking about breaking one of the world's greatest assassins out of jail."

"It's not crazy when _you_ do it," said Batgirl harshly, "Remember Scarecrow?" Tim would've rolled his eyes except he knew that Cass could tell when he did that and he'd get another punch-glare combo from her if he did. Yes, he had broken Scarecrow out of jail once but it was only because of extreme circumstances.

"I did that to save your life," countered Robin, "You had been poisoned by that drug and he was the only person who could help me find the antidote. This is nothing like that."

"It is too," said Batgirl, "He deserves . . . a second chance. You gave me one." Robin had to admit this was a valid point. He had believed in her when no one else had. He had gone into the darkness to bring her back home. Now she was asking for his help again but the problem was that Robin wasn't willing to give it. Tim Drake didn't hate people by nature. He rarely ever practiced hate but there were a few people in the world that he found it very, very hard to not hate. One such person was David Cain.

Tim supposed he hated Cain for selfish reasons but they were reasons nonetheless. Almost every wound on Cass's body was one her father had put there through his training. All of them were reasons that Tim hated David Cain. Every nightmare Cass had ever had was because of her father and the teachings he had tried to force onto her. They were all more additions to the list of reasons why Tim Drake hated David Cain. All the happy moments Tim had with his father were moments that Cass would never have with her father. They were more reasons to hate David Cain. Robin was only a violent man because his job called for it. Violence was not inherent to his nature. However, there were certain things you simply didn't mess with unless you wanted a quick beating from him. Cass was at the top of this list and whoever abused her would find the Boy Wonder in a particularly vengeful mood when he finally caught up with the guilty party.

"He's killed enough innocent people," stated Robin, "He deserves this."

"One is enough," assured Batgirl, "I killed one. Do I deserve that?" She knew he was angry. One of the things Cassandra Cain loved about Tim Drake was the fact that he always did the right thing. Tim cared about people. It was this attribute that had enabled him to grab onto the little piece of light left in her and yank it to the surface when she had been mired in darkness. Now she was trying to be just like Tim. Cass knew that all the things her father had done were wrong but she still cared about him enough to give him a second chance.

"I can't be a part of this," said Robin quietly, "I know you want me to be and I know what you're trying to do. I just can't do this." He knew she probably hated him right now and it hurt but he just couldn't do this.

"You're a liar," said Batgirl simply as she turned her back on him, "You talk but never do. All you do is talk."

"I can cover for you," said Robin, "I can lie to the others about where you are while you do this but I can't go with you. I'm sorry, Cass. I really am."

"I don't need favors," assured Batgirl coldly as she dove off the rooftop and landed on top of a ferry that was used to carry people to and from the prison. Robin sighed heavily as he took out his grappling hook and fired it. He swung in the opposite direction of his girlfriend.

XXXXX

She was too close to the case. Hell, there wasn't even a case this time. It didn't matter because she was still too close to it and it was affecting her judgment. Since something was troubling her, it was affecting _his_ judgment too. Robin sighed as he landed on a rooftop and looked out over the city. How many people walked the streets of Gotham day in and day out? How many of them were innocent and how many of them were guilty? Tim wasn't one to question Batman's mission. It was simple. They stopped criminals from preying on innocent people and then brought those criminals to justice for their crimes. This was the mission in pure and simple terms but things became complicated when you factored in just what exactly "justice" entailed. Execution was an age-old form of punishment. Sometimes jail just wasn't enough. Was killing though? Was murder enough justice? Tim didn't like the idea of executions. He was opposed to it on both moral and logical grounds. So this situation should be a no-brainer for him, shouldn't it?

"Wish I knew," whispered Robin as he scanned the streets below. He always told himself that he'd do anything for Cass. Certainly he'd proven it before. This though was something he just couldn't do. He couldn't forgive David Cain for the abuse the man had heaped upon his daughter. Since Robin couldn't forgive him, Tim saw very little need to lift a finger to stay the man's execution.

"My prayers have been answered," said Robin to himself as he tapped the side of his head to make the lenses in his mask give him a better magnification of the limo that was passing by and carrying a very familiar-looking passenger. Robin had thought that Cass had taken care of Nyssa Raatko when Cass had assumed leadership of the League of Assassins. Apparently, Nyssa was as resourceful as her father had been. Tim didn't exactly know what Nyssa's plan was this time but if she was in Gotham then it couldn't be good. Unfortunately, he had more pressing matters to attend to.

"Bye, bye, birdy," hissed Shrike as two of his throwing knives sang through the air. Robin felt them come in from his right and quickly hit the deck. H barely had time to look up and roll away before Shrike was on top of him.

"Figures she wouldn't go anywhere alone," mumbled Robin as he rolled to his feet and whipped out his bo. They way he was feeling right now, he was spoiling for a good fight. He knew that Shrike would do his best to oblige him.

"It's been a while," admitted Shrike as he looked at Robin, "We got unfinished business, you and me."

"All those beatings must've given you some brain damage," replied Robin, "Right now though, I could use a good fight." Robin came at Shrike but it was then that he realized Shrike wasn't traveling alone either. Two initiates dropped out of nowhere, their katanas slicing through the night air and towards Robin. Tim threw up his bo to block the attacks but the law of gravity stated that he was going to go down since so much force was being applied. Robin fell on his back with the initiates standing before him. One of them moved to chop off his head. Robin moved the staff to deflect the attack and used the other end of the metal rod to jab the other initiate in the stomach before he could attack. Tim flipped backwards to get back to his feet. He turned and threw out a bola at the third initiate that was trying to get the drop on him from behind. This one brandished a battle axe and used it to quickly cut the cord on the bola after only being tied up for a few seconds. Still, it earned Tim a few more seconds of breath.

"You brought a lot of friends," admitted Robin as the three initiates struck in tandem. Tim put the staff out in front of him to block one katana. He quickly shifted the staff to his side to block the other sword and then up over his head to stop the axe. He flipped away and flicked two of his R's at the assassins. The whirling projectiles were batted away but Tim had more problems. A fourth initiate had shown up to the party.

"Damn," muttered Robin as the quartet came after him. The two with the axes struck first. Robin blocked one and barely dodged the other. The swords came next but the axes were still swinging. Block, dodge, block, dodge. It was getting too crowded. Block, dodge, doge, block, block. One of them had taken an extra attack that time. Tim was losing his rhythm. They were going to catch him sooner or later.

"Boys, this is getting old," assured Robin. An axe came screaming at him. Robin deflected the attack and hit the initiate in the back of the head with the other end of his staff. His leg shot out to trip the next attacker in line. It was then that Robin remembered something. Shrike hadn't even been touched yet. This realization came a split-second too late as a flying kick connected with his jaw.

"You've got guts, kid," admitted Shrike as Robin picked himself back up after taking a face full of concrete thanks to Shrike's attack. The swords came at him again. He blocked one swipe with his bo and then disarmed the other initiate. Tim kicked the unarmed man aside but took a kick in the throat from the other one. Robin coughed and smacked the initiate's sword from his grasp. That was when Shrike suddenly gave him another flying kick across the jaw.

"Life's all good when you've got your pals backin' you up," spat Robin as he picked himself up again.

"Not the best way to lecture me, boy," assured Shrike as he pulled out his knives and took a fighting stance, "Maybe I don't need them this time." Robin would've taken a run at Shrike but that was suicide. The assassin wasn't a genius but he knew enough to have backup. Robin's best option now was to run.

"Guess you do," said Robin as he tossed some smoke bombs at Shrike. He saw two of the initiates take diving rolls forward. Tim turned and ran for the edge of the roof. He was almost home free before an initiate tackled him, taking him down. Robin quickly rolled onto his back and began punching the man in the face for all he was worth. Tim managed to kick the man off of him, throwing him into his partner in crime. There was no time to be pretty. Robin took out his grappling line and fired it horizontally. He felt it snag a building and clicked the button to reel himself in. Tim slid along the rooftop until he felt himself g weightless and swing back towards where his line was anchored. Something whirled through the air and cut his line. Robin had approximately two seconds to catch his breath before he began to drop like a stone. Tim reached for his second grappling hook which he fired at the monorail track that wound its way through Gotham. The line hooked and Tim swung backwards, his arc taking him completely under the track and up from the other side. It was all he could do to grab the rail on the roof of a passing train and pull himself up to stable ground.

"That was insane," muttered Robin as he tried catching his breath. There was a thud as something also landed on the roof. Robin saw that Shrike had caught up with him.

"Some nights you just can't get rid of ninjas," muttered Robin under his breath as Shrike came at him with his knives, "They're like freakin' cockroaches." Robin blocked both of the high and low swipes with his bo. He caught Shrike under the jaw by flicking the staff upward. He smacked Shrike in the chest with the bo and then clipped his knee. The train suddenly lurched into a turn, throwing Tim off his balance. Shrike added to the inconvenience by using a leg-sweep to take Robin down.

"What's the game this time, Shrike?" asked Robin as the assassin attempted to put him in a chokehold. Tim wasn't going to have that. He quickly kicked Shrike in the face, almost knocking the man off the train. Robin quickly flipped to his feet. He backed off to catch his breath and think.

"Just killing little birds," assured Shrike with a sneer, "Nyssa wants you dead. I'm happy to oblige." Robin checked his back to see what was going on behind him. That moment's diversion was all Shrike needed to pounce. He quickly came at Tim and swiped high with his knives. Robin blocked and felt Shrike's knee surge into his stomach. The attack was followed up with a roundhouse kick to Tim's jaw that sent the Boy Wonder reeling. The train took an unfortunate lurch and Tim felt himself in the air for a split-second before he instinctively grabbed the side of the train's roof.

"Great," muttered Robin as he felt the thuds that told him more of Shrike's friends were here to play. It was at this point that Robin decided it was time to call for his own backup.

"C'mon, Cassie," whispered Robin as he switched his transmitter to a private line so Oracle and the others didn't have to get involved in this, "Please pick up the phone."

XXXXX

In Batgirl's opinion, the security at Blackgate was as lax as it was the last time she had broken in to see her father. Of course, not every girl had the kind of training she did. Plus, her little spat with Tim had left her with a lot of excess aggression she needed to work off. She felt sorry for the poor guards who had actually managed to spot her. They were just doing their jobs. She tried to tell herself that she was doing a good thing here but the old doubts that still nagged her started creeping back in. Killing was wrong, wasn't it? Cass knew it was but it wasn't exactly right to help a convicted felon. Tim had done it though and he had saved her life by doing it. So maybe she could save her father's life by doing this. Maybe.

"Where?" asked Batgirl as she found Cain's cell empty, "Where is he?" She stood there in silent perplexion until something crackled over her transmitter.

"Cassie," said Robin in a hushed tone, "Cass, are you there?" Batgirl could hear noise over the radio. Where the hell was he?

"Tim?" asked Batgirl.

"Cass, I'm in trouble," explained Tim, "Real trouble, big trouble." Batgirl felt like crying. Why was it something always stopped her from doing the right thing? Here she was trying to save the life of a man who had done nothing but abuse her and now this had to screw it up.

"Where?" asked Batgirl.

"The monorail," explained Robin, "Wait . . ." There was a lot of commotion over the line. Batgirl absently wandered into David Cain's cell and stared around. They must've stepped up his execution time. Was he dead already? Cass let her eyes stray to a photograph taped to the wall. It was a picture of Lady Shiva, her mother. Cass wondered if Cain had a picture of her somewhere too. More noise over the radio yanked her thoughts back to Tim.

"Scratch that," said Robin, "Alleyway downtown. Cass, Nyssa's back and the League is here. They're after me and I can't do this alone." Batgirl punched the wall viciously. Now she was stuck with two lives to save and she was going to have to choose between trying to save her father or trying to save Tim. She only had time for one it seemed. Batgirl punched the wall again as she turned and headed back the way she had come in.

"I'm coming," assured Cass, "Hang on for me."

XXXXX

It had taken Robin all of precisely one second to realize that continuing to take the train was a mistake. Therefore, he had quickly managed to snag his grappling line and drop into an alley where he began taking a much-needed rest. He desperately hoped backup would arrive soon. At the moment, Tim was running ragged and he could use the help.

"Why me?" whispered Tim in between breaths. Shrike had said that Nyssa was after him. Why would she want him when Cass was the one who had almost killed her? Logically, it would make more sense to go after Batgirl.

"Like anything about Nyssa is logical," muttered Tim, the sarcasm dripping from his words as profusely as sweat dripped from his brow. It didn't matter what the woman's twisted goals were. Robin was the target. That was all Tim needed to know.

"You'd think they'd train for this," said Robin to himself as he peered out from behind where he had pressed himself against the wall. One of the initiates was looking for him. They didn't know this city, not like Tim did. The alleys all connected like a giant maze. You could get lost in them or you could very quickly run into the wrong people. Robin mused on how this hapless man was about to learn that lesson the hard way. He waited until the initiate was right in the middle of the alley's entrance before grabbing him and pulling him into the shadows. He quickly gave the man a nerve pinch that knocked him out cold before sticking him to the wall with one of his tangle bombs. He knew the stretchy, sticky material would hold the initiate fast for at least an hour or two. Tim wondered where the other goons were as he quickly climbed up a fire escape and perched there to rest and strategize. He knew it was pointless to question the initiate. All the League members knew the penalty for snitching. They were more afraid of Nyssa than they could ever be of him.

"Have to knock off the others," said Robin to himself as he scaled the fire escape as quickly as he could and began using the rooftops for a lookout point to see if he could spy any other League members.

"They had business," assured Shrike. Robin turned, whipping out his bo and smacking Shrike across the side of the face. Unfortunately, Shrike's swipe left a very large gash in the chest of Tim's costume, even cutting into his skin.

"So how come you're still here?" asked Robin. He could feel the hot blood running down his chest as he slammed his staff down on the back of Shrike's neck.

"You're a special case," assured Shrike with a grin as he swiped the staff away before Tim could get in another shot. Robin saw the second of Shrike's knives surge towards his stomach and turned on his heel. Instead of stabbing him in the stomach, Shrike tore a very nice gash in Robin's side. Tim collapsed, the concrete smacking against his skin and jarring him. Shrike sneered at his helpless prey. This contest was over before it had begun. Robin was good but not League good.

"Trust me, sunshine," said Robin with a smirk as he saw something approaching Shrike, "You and Nyssa aren't the only ones who think I'm special." Shrike had just enough time to turn around before something that looked like a living shadow pounced on him. Shrike tumbled to the rooftop as the shadow wrestled with him, mounting him and starting to drill its fists into the man's face.

"Leave us alone!" snarled Batgirl as she continued hammering Shrike. She was so unbelievably angry right now. This man had almost killed her boyfriend and had probably killed her father because she had to come out here instead of trying to save him. She was so damn tired of all the killing and the killing to avenge killing and all the other garbage that idiots like this man below her perpetuated. Cass didn't think. She just kept hammering Shrike, not even bothering to care that he was unconscious by now.

"Cassie," said Tim, "I need you here." Batgirl almost didn't hear Tim's voice of reason over the sounds of violence, sounds that had become etched into her mind since birth. Cass stopped herself and looked back. Tim was hurt. She wasn't going to let someone else die tonight.

"He's dead," whispered Batgirl as she cradled Robin's body, "My father. They killed him." Robin's eyes softened as he struggled to help Cass. They began shredding Robin's cape to use for bandages and tourniquets. Cass tried to stay focused. She felt numb inside. Had she done the right thing tonight? Sure she had saved Tim but what about her father? Didn't he still deserve saving too?

XXXXX

David Cain had been pronounced dead at 12:07 a.m. EST. The body had been shipped down to the morgue after the coroner signed the death certificate. Nyssa had expected all this. One could always count on the rigidity of protocol. It was why she had sent out a second team of agents. The agents had retrieved Cain's body and were getting it to her as soon as they could.

"What were his last words?" asked Nyssa curiously as she turned her gaze away from the Lazarus Pit and looked at one of her followers.

"I believe they were: 'I came, I saw, I killed'," replied the monk. Nyssa smirked. She had not met David Cain before but she knew enough of the man to know that it was typical behavior for him. However, she could see the sadness behind the sarcasm. Cain hadn't been the same since his daughter had left him. That was part of the reason he had been in jail to start with. She saw that he was tired of this life. However, death put things into perspective. Nyssa knew this to be true.

"David Cain was probably one of the greatest killers of our time," admitted Nyssa as she looked back at the Lazarus Pit, "I consider it a shame that I didn't know him in his prime. Perhaps that can be changed."


	3. Honor Thy Father

Family Affairs (Part Three)

By TheLostMaximoff

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters. I've been busy lately so you'll have to forgive the lack of timely updates. R/R and enjoy.

The stench of ancient chemicals filled the air as Nyssa watched the rebirth of David Cain. She had witnessed this process many times, most often from the other side of the equation. She had ordered everyone to back away from the Lazarus Pit after Cain's body had been placed in it. She figured that a man as "spirited" as Cain was would have more than enough energy to climb out of the pit on his own.

"He has been in the pit longer than usual, Mistress," said one monk. Nyssa was about to voice a reply when the chemicals churned violently and David Cain crawled out of the pit. Nyssa braced herself for what would surely be a massacre. Lazarus Pits being what they were, Cain was liable to be very unhinged at this point. That coupled with his killing skills meant there was going to be a bloodbath unless this was handled correctly. Nyssa didn't mind the violence. She would consider it an honor to be killed by David Cain.

"Vodka!" snarled Cain as he stalked towards Nyssa. Nyssa saw the wild, animalistic look in his eyes. He was the predator and she was the prey. Cain lunged towards Nyssa but the group of monks quickly moved to her defense. That was their last mistake. Cain caught the first one around the neck, quickly snapping it with no more thought than one would snap a twig. The second monk had a cattle prod. Cain grabbed the instrument, smacking the man across the face with the blunt end and then stabbing him straight through the chest with the electrified end.

"Back!" snapped Nyssa. She had to admit there was an art to the way he moved. Even though his age had been somewhat reduced due to the Pit, Nyssa would've never suspected a man of Cain's size and build to be as agile and quick as he was. She was so awed by his abilities that she didn't realize he was coming for her until his hands were around her throat.

"Vodka!" repeated Cain. Nyssa nodded and one of the few living monks quickly produced a bottle and handed it to Cain. Nyssa knew that Cain wasn't without his vices. She had figured he would want a drink so she had prepared a bottle for him. Cain quickly let go of Nyssa with one hand as he grabbed the full bottle and quickly began to chug it.

"Damn, that's good Vodka," said Cain as he let go of Nyssa and looked around, "Hell, you guys stuck me in a Lazarus Pit." Cain let the alcohol soak his brain as he took another swig from the bottle. He didn't know exactly what they put in those pits but it he knew it was pretty unholy if alcohol actually sobered you up.

"Mr. Cain," said Nyssa, "My name is Nyssa Raatko."

"Yeah, I know," said Cain, "I keep my ear to the ground on things. You're supposed to be dead though."

"One could say the same for you," replied Nyssa.

"True," admitted Cain as he handed Nyssa the half-empty bottle of Vodka, "My thanks for the charity and the drink. You have no idea how hard it is to get Vodka when you're in jail. Anyways, if you'll excuse me I think I'm going to go home now." Cain turned and started walking towards the exit.

"You worked for my father," explained Nyssa, "I would consider it an honor if you would work for me as well."

"Not interested," replied Cain as he kept walking, "I'm retired." Yes, retired. That was a very polite way of putting it. The truth was that David Cain had a hard time looking at himself in the mirror since the day his daughter had left him. He'd spent eight years with too many questions on his mind, more than he could ever find answers for. He didn't know if it was a lack of nerve or a crisis of conscience but that night that Cassandra ran away changed him forever. He thought death would be the final answer, the final way out of this mess. Apparently, he had thought wrong.

"I gave you life," said Nyssa coldly, "You owe me a debt." Cain stopped and sighed. He figured she'd get around to that part and she was right. David Cain might've been many things but he wasn't the type to leave his debts unsettled.

"You sound like your father," said Cain as he turned to face Nyssa, "Fine then. Who do I have to kill?" He figured it would only take a matter of hours, maybe days if the person was important enough and had tighter security. He'd study up, learn the victim's routines, exploit the flaws, kill his prey, and then walk off quietly into the night as he always did.

"Your daughter has something I want," stated Nyssa, "Bring her to me. If her boyfriend gets in the way then you my either kill him yourself or bring him to me so that I may do it with my bare hands." Cain arched his eyebrow. This was going to be trickier than he thought.

XXXXX

Tim Drake wasn't the type of person to let personal injuries get in the way of his duty. No, a measly batch of stitches in his side wasn't going to keep him out of action for long. However, Batman had said otherwise and so now Tim was forced to stay off-duty for one or two nights so that he might properly heal.

"How are you?" asked Batgirl as she came in from her patrol. Tim looked up from where he was sitting on his couch watching TV. Cass could see he wasn't taking this too well. Tim was a soldier and, no matter what, he would always do his job. He was stubborn about things like this and it was one of the many endearing qualities that Cass admired him for.

"Frustrated," admitted Tim, "You?" Cass wasn't sure how to answer that one. She knew it was insane that she was probably the only person in the world to mourn the death of David Cain. She didn't care though. Truthfully, she didn't know what to feel. Part of her was sad, part of her was apathetic, and part of her was angry and frustrated.

"Don't know," replied Cass as she sat down next to Tim. Tim looked at her and couldn't help but feel like a failure. He should've supported her. He had walked through Hell for her and then he had left her in the cold when she had turned to him for help. In Tim's book, that made him a pretty crappy boyfriend.

"I'm here," said Tim quietly as he held Cass's hand, "Talk to me."

"I don't talk," replied Cass rather coldly, "I do."

"Then let's do something," replied Tim as he gingerly got up from the couch and headed to where he kept his costume.

"You can't go out," reminded Cass. Tim rolled his eyes. He had become accustomed to not letting things like what he was or wasn't capable of doing at a given moment get in the way of actually doing them.

"A swing around the city," promised Tim, "I'll take it easy, Cass, I promise. It'll do us both some good." Cass had to admit that she could use a good swing. It always helped her unwind and right now she needed to feel the freedom of movement that came to her when she was in the air.

"Will you fly with me tonight?" asked Tim as he looked at her. Cass had discovered that Tim could develop this very cute and very charming puppy-dog face when he really wanted whatever it was he was asking for. She found it incredibly hard, almost impossible, to resist.

"Always," replied Cass with a smile.

XXXXX

The preparation skills of David Cain were legendary in the dubious corners of the world. Cain would spend hours studying his target with the patience of a saint and the clinical detachment found only in the best of scientists. However, these virtues of patience and detachment weren't ones that Cain could afford this time. Nyssa wanted results quickly. Cain suspected she had a grander scheme in mind that was related to whatever this thing was that Cassandra possessed. He didn't press this subject because he had his own issues to deal with concerning this assignment. He felt that once again he was walking the tightrope and there was no safety net. If he executed one misstep, Cain was certain he would fall to his doom. Oddly enough, he wouldn't want it any other way.

"Sir, we believe we've found her." The voice crackled through Cain's headset and momentarily interrupted his thoughts. He wasn't used to working in a pack. It gave him unnecessary distractions. He would've done this alone but canvassing an entire city the size of Gotham wasn't a job he could do alone. Cain had resigned himself to being alpha dog for one night so that the job could be completed quicker.

"Where?" asked Cain as he scanned the area below his rooftop perch.

"Headed your way, sir," replied the initiate, "Robin's with her, sir. Should we engage?" Cain mumbled a curse under his breath. Had he been given enough time, Cain could've had at least two contingency plans to go with the main plan just in case any wrinkles showed themselves. Now, however, he was going to have to fly blind.

"I see them," assured Cain as he watched the duo swing through the concrete canyons of Gotham, "I'm going to shake them up and then take the boy. Batgirl is all yours but if you somehow manage to kill my daughter I'll personally deliver your head to Nyssa. Clear?"

"Yes, sir," replied the initiate. Cain snorted as he took aim with his sniper rifle and squinted so he could look through the UV-filtered scope. He lined himself up for a perfect headshot and then aimed higher, focusing on Robin's grappling line. He squeezed the trigger and lowered the gun once the shot was fired.

XXXXX

Batgirl had developed something of a sixth sense when it came to knowing when bullets were coming towards her. Her father had trained her well. It didn't matter what she was in the middle of doing. If someone was taking a shot at her, Cass knew it almost a split-second before the shot was even fired. Case in point was the fact that she knew someone had taken a shot at Tim's rope. Cass swung forward as soon as she could, managing to reach Robin just as his line was broken. Batgirl shot out her hand and grabbed Tim's wrist.

"Crap," muttered Robin as he felt the skin around his stitches stretch to a painful degree, the tension almost ripping them out completely. Apparently, the League of Assassins wasn't done hunting him yet.

"Throw me," ordered Robin. Batgirl nodded as Tim reached in his bet for his spare grappling hook. Batgirl swung to get some momentum and then let Robin go at the apex of her swing. Robin sailed through the air and winced as two shots whizzed past him. He fired out his line and caught the ledge of a building with it. Tim quickly swung with the line and managed to land on top of a water tower that was on the roof of a building. Robin turned back to see if Cass could follow him. He was going to have to find that sniper. Robin shot out his grappling hook and let it hoist him to a taller building. He was going to have to work quickly if he wanted to double back and get the drop on the sniper before whoever it was could change positions on him.

"No ninjas?" whispered Tim to himself as he ran across the rooftop and jumped down to a lower one. From there, it was a quick sprint and a long leap before he was right where the sniper should've been provided there was no movement.

"Still no ninjas," said Robin to himself. The sniper had to have backup. He thought that the plan was to isolate him from Batgirl and then use the ninjas to make him forget about the sniper while said sniper was busy taking shots at him.

"Don't need 'em," assured Cain. Robin turned and rolled to duck the gunfire from Cain's pistol. He pulled out his bo and looked at the figure in front of him. It made sense now. Guns weren't exactly the League's style. They preferred the martial arts to firearms. Tim figured someone had stuck David Cain in a Lazarus Pit. His three guesses as to who that person would be were all Nyssa.

"I'm surprised," said Robin as he came at Cain, "I knew you were scum, Cain, but I didn't think you'd go this far to hurt your own daughter. Maybe that was just my mistake." Cain smirked as he caught Robin's staff and pushed it back in Tim's face.

"You wanna take a shot at me?" sneered Cain, "Put away that stick, boy. What, did you expect to be able to make out with my little girl without meeting her dear, old dad?"

"She's not your daughter," stated Robin coldly as he tried going for Cain's legs with his bo, "You lost the privilege of being her father a long time ago." Cain rolled his eyes as he pinned Robin's staff to the rooftop with his foot. He deftly flicked the bo out of Tim's grasp and kicked it away.

"Little boys are the only ones that play with sticks," assured Cain as he motioned for Robin to fight him, "You wanna prove you can protect my daughter? Come at me like a real man." Robin gave the man a wry smile. Ever since he'd fallen in love with Cassandra Cain, Tim Drake had dreamt about what it would feel like to pay her father back for all his years of abuse. Perhaps dreams really did come true.

XXXXX

Tim had gone to find the sniper. Batgirl had swung up to the rooftop with the water tower but then the ninjas had appeared. Cass knew they were League. She knew not everyone had endorsed her as leader. Those that remained loyal to Nyssa were the ones she and Tim were facing now. Why had they struck at Tim before though? Why not her? Batgirl didn't care right now. She just watched the initiates come at her and could see the patterns. She was five steps ahead when they arrived. Cass blocked the punch before it was finished being thrown. She drove her knee into the ninja's gut and then slammed her elbow into the back of his head while he was doubled over. Next in line was one with a sword. Batgirl wasn't worried about that one. There was another coming in from her right. Batgirl turned and grabbed the one on her right, popping him in the jaw twice before pushing him away and letting his friend with the katana rake the sword down the back of his ally. Cass quickly kicked the swordsman in the face and sent the sword clattering across the rooftop.

"Bored," mumbled Batgirl as she clapped her hands against the sides of a ninja's head as the man was trying to grab her from behind. The ear-popping attack was enough to stun the man so that Batgirl could turn and give him an uppercut before taking him and flipping him over her shoulder to land on top of a comrade who was attempting to get back up.

"More?" asked Batgirl as she saw more ninjas appear. Whoever was running this show wanted her away from Tim and was willing to throw everything they could at her to get the job done. Cass suddenly heard gunfire a few rooftops away and turned to move in that direction. A ninja quickly tackled her from behind and took her to the concrete.

XXXXX

Robin had to admit that for an over-the-hill assassin who was supposed to be dead, David Cain was a pretty damn good fighter. He had managed to kick away Cain's gun but the man had also caught his foot and had leg-whipped Tim across the concrete.

"Does it feel good to sleep with the enemy?" asked Cain as Robin flipped back to his feet, "You think it makes you look all noble and heroic because you saved her?"

"My feelings for her aren't based on what I can get from her," assured Robin as he took a swing at Cain, "Of course, you wouldn't know what that's like."

"That supposed to hurt my feelings?" asked Cain as he caught Robin's fist and gut-punched him, "You ain't her kind, kid. Go back inta the light and find yourself a nice girl." Robin took a kick to his ribs before rolling away and catching his breath.

"She was going to save your life," spat Tim in disgust, "She was going to stick her neck out for garbage like you."

"I'm her father," said Cain, "She knows that family's important." Robin kicked at Cain's head but the assassin dodged it easily, even ducking the follow-up one as well.

"Movin' too sloppy, kid," said Cain as he blocked another attack, "You're not even in her league and you never were. You can't beat me and you can't stop Cassie from being my daughter." Cain ducked inside a punch and gave Robin an uppercut that sent Tim reeling. Cain kicked the Boy Wonder in the face and then pressed his foot down on Tim's chest as he drew another pistol and aimed it at Robin's forehead.

"You pull that trigger and she'll never love you," assured Robin as he tried to get away. Cain stared at the young hero. He knew that somewhere in the back of his mind he wanted to agree with Robin. However, debts had to be paid and, truth be told, Cain missed his daughter. Maybe it was still the madness of the Pit talking and maybe it wasn't. All Cain wanted was his daughter back so he could stop feeling like the washed-up, old man that he saw himself as. In his younger days, Cain would've just blown this punk to Hell without a second thought. Once again though, Cain was reminded of the painful fact that these were no longer his "good, old days".

"I know," said Cain simply as he pressed his foot down on Robin's chest to stop the struggling, "That's why you're going to be a good bird and shut the hell up."

XXXXX

The initiate who had tackled Batgirl to the roof had received an arm broken in two places for all his hard work. It signified that Cass was losing her patience. The killing instincts she possessed were kept at bay through focus and concentration. Unfortunately, when Cass lost her patience with something she tended to get . . . sloppy. She was starting to feel the urge now, the urge to take the quick and dirty route. Batgirl forced it away.

"Who sent you?" asked Batgirl as she grabbed one of the ninjas and put him in a headlock.

"We follow the Daughter of the Demon," rasped the man, "We follow the one who is our true leader."

"You follow a corpse," assured Batgirl as she clamped her hold down harder, wrenching the man's neck, "I killed Nyssa." She never liked to talk about that, about what she had done when she had danced in the darkness. It didn't mean that Cass forgot about it though. No, she could never forget about it.

"Now that would've brought a smile to this old man's face." There was the sound of something hitting the rooftop. Batgirl turned to find the voice's owner. She knew it had been her father's but that wasn't possible. The law had killed her father. Batgirl recognized the body as Tim's and quickly discarded the assassin she still had a grip on. Cass instinctively moved towards Tim but saw a man that looked suspiciously like David Cain point a gun at her.

"Stay put, Cassie," ordered Cain, "Don't make me pull this trigger." Everyone in the immediate vicinity seemed to freeze in place as if Cain's warning had magically stopped time itself. Batgirl stared hard at the man before her and tried to determine if it was really her father. She had read enough of Bruce's case files to know there was any number of shape-shifters in the world that could pull this trick.

"I'll dodge," assured Batgirl calmly.

"I know you will, darlin'," assured Cain as he turned the gun towards Robin, "I never said you'd be the target." He knew he had trained his daughter well. There was no way he was going to be able to shoot her, parental nature aside. However, he knew his daughter well enough to know her weaknesses. Cass would do anything to avoid someone getting murdered.

"How are you . . .?" began Batgirl.

"Nyssa," replied Cain, "That's what family's all about, Cassie." Batgirl shot her father a death glare. She should've known better than to believe a daughter of Ra's al Ghul would stay dead.

"What do you want?" asked Batgirl as she took off her cowl. She felt helpless inside. There was nothing she could do but stand there while her father held a gun at the person she loved. She, Cassandra Cain and martial artist extraordinaire, was completely powerless to do anything.

"I figure your boy here should see what kinda family you come from," said Cain with a cruel grin, "So we're gonna pack up and go see your Aunt Nyssa." Cass glared at her father again but knew it was pointless to resist. She couldn't risk Tim getting hurt again or worse. So in the end, the only real option she had was to do as her father told her.

"Fine," said Batgirl quietly as two of the League ninjas grabbed her from behind and wrenched her arms behind her back, "Just promise me . . . you won't hurt him."

"Cassie," said Cain with a sad shake of his head, "When have I ever broken a promise to you?"


	4. Dealing With the Devil

Family Affairs (Part Four)

By TheLostMaximoff

Disclaimer: I don't own these characters. I've been deathly ill for the past few days so excuse the tardiness of this update. R/R.

He had regained consciousness by the time the hit squad had returned to where Nyssa was staying. In Tim's view, this was more a curse than a blessing. At least if he was unconscious he wouldn't be able to see how bad things looked for him and Cass.

"You should feel lucky, kid," said Cain as he shoved Robin into the room, "Most girls wait till the engagement before you get to meet their families."

"Oh I'm so blessed," retorted Robin as he struggled against the bonds that held his hands behind his back. They hadn't tied Batgirl up, mostly because she had cooperated in exchange for, he presumed, his safety. They'd just used strong rope, nothing fancy. If Tim had his belt on, he could grab one of his R's and cut the rope easily. Unfortunately, he didn't carry anything else sharp on him and even if he did he wouldn't risk an escape now with Cain, Nyssa, and who knew how many ninjas watching his every move. For now, Robin was content to watch Nyssa play out her hand and see what this was all about. He knew Nyssa had something more in mind. If she wanted Robin dead, Cain would've put a bullet in Tim's skull back on that rooftop. Tim wanted to know what else was going on here.

"Welcome home," said Nyssa as she looked at Batgirl, "Are you surprised to see me?" Batgirl simply crossed her arms in front of her chest and stared at Nyssa. In return, Nyssa smirked as she saw the anger in Cass's eyes. She knew that Batgirl was a perfectionist in all things and that she was angry with herself for not finishing the kill. No matter how much Batgirl might like to believe that she no longer danced in the darkness, Nyssa knew the truth. The truth was that Cass couldn't fight against what was in her blood, not forever.

"Not my home," said Batgirl simply, "You're not family."

"Neither is he," said Nyssa as she gestured to Robin, "None of them are. You can pretend all you like but we both know it's true. You and I are alike, Cassandra. I just chose to be a good daughter whereas you chose not to."

"Stupid," assured Cass with a smirk, "You want me back? No chance."

"Cassie," said Nyssa with a shake of her head, "I trust you remember the satellite network that you stole control of from my father." Batgirl's eyes clouded over with pain. She remembered that all too well and she remembered what the satellites were designed to do. She remembered how she had almost killed every single person on the planet in one foul stroke.

"What about it?" asked Batgirl.

"I've been perfecting my father's research," assured Nyssa as she pulled out a vial from her desk drawer, "This is the other half of it. It's a chemical designed to grant immunity from the madness-inducing payload the satellites carry."

"Don't care," assured Cass with a shrug, "You can't start it . . . without password."

"Yes," replied Nyssa, "That's why you're here. You give me the code that controls the satellites and I'll make sure you live to inherit paradise with the rest of the League of Assassins." Batgirl laughed at Nyssa. She couldn't help it. It was so pitifully funny that she had been just like this woman. There was also the fact that this entire scheme was ridiculous. Did Nyssa really think that any amount of persuasion was going to get her the code?

"You're stupid," laughed Cass, "No deal."

"Yes, I thought you might say that," admitted Nyssa, "You see, that's why we let your boyfriend live." Nyssa motioned to Cain and the man quickly kicked Robin the gut. Tim didn't have time to do anything but take the blow and attempt to regain his breath. Cain's boot smacked across Robin's jaw as the Boy Wonder fell to his knees. Tim gritted his teeth and tried not to cry out at the pain.

"I wouldn't try it," assured Cain as he suddenly whipped out his gun and turned around, the barrel of the weapon so close to Batgirl's forehead that it almost touched her skin. It didn't take a man of Cain's training to know that Cass would leap to Robin's aid but it _did_ take a man with his reflexes to move so fast that Cass didn't have time to see it coming.

"The code," ordered Nyssa as Cain moved forward and the gun pressed against Batgirl's forehead. Cass stared at her father. Was this the real David Cain? He had moved faster than she'd ever seen him before. All those times she had beat the hell out of him. Did he just lead her along? Could he really kill her if he just felt like it?

"Shoot me," dared Batgirl, "No code."

"You were always so damn stubborn," said Cain. Cass felt something go around her throat and pull backwards hard. Nyssa had some sort of whip or cord wrapped around her throat and she was slowly choking the life out of Cass.

"The code," hissed Nyssa is Batgirl's ear as Cain turned and hit Robin across the back of the head with the handle of his gun.

"Don't give them anything," ordered Robin.

"Yer breakin' my heart, kid," sneered Cain as he kicked Tim in the ribs again. Robin felt one of his ribs threaten to break. Cass could see it too and let out a strangled cry, trying to struggle as Nyssa pulled her whip back harder.

"I'm going to count to three," stated Cain as he pointed his gun at Robin's head, "After that, I put the bird out of his misery."

"Don't tell them!" ordered Robin.

"One," said Cain calmly, "Two." Cass tried to struggle but she knew it wasn't going to matter. She couldn't dispose of Nyssa quick enough to stop her father.

"The code," snarled Nyssa.

"Last chance, Cassie," assured Cain.

"I'll do it," whispered Batgirl hoarsely, "Just . . . just stop." Cain looked at her and saw a tiny tear roll down his daughter's cheek. For a split-second, he stopped being David Cain the assassin and became David Cain the father.

"Good girl," said Cain, trying to hide his weakness so his daughter couldn't see it. He was always weak. He had let himself be weak enough to love his daughter and then she ran away and ruined all his plans. All this was supposed to have been theirs. He had never planned on letting Ra's al Ghul have Cass for his "One Who Is All". David Cain wasn't about to sell his daughter's soul to a madman. No, he had concocted a different scenario in his mind, one that involved him and his daughter assuming control of the League and destroying anyone that stood in their way. After all, who could really stand a chance against both David _and_ Cassandra Cain? However, she had run away and his brilliant plan was now in the toilet along with the rest of his life.

"I have to type it," explained Batgirl, "It needs my hand."

"Of course," assured Nyssa as she let Cass go and put away the whip, "You're coming to paradise with us, Cassandra."

"What about the kid?" asked Cain.

"Regrettably he isn't as fortunate," said Nyssa.

"No!" snapped Batgirl, "He lives too. He lives or no deal." It was the only thing she could do right now to guarantee Tim's safety and she would die before seeing him do so.

"One big, happy family," assured Nyssa with a sadistic grin. Cain put away his gun and hauled Robin to his feet.

"You want junior here to watch?" asked Cain as he motioned to Robin.

"Yes, do keep him around," replied Nyssa, "I want him to see Cassandra destroy the human race." Cain shrugged as he pushed Robin forward. Nyssa led the way with Cass behind her while the duo of Cain and Robin trailed behind them at a small distance.

"You think emotional blackmail will really get your daughter's love?" asked Robin as he headed in Cassandra's direction with Cain behind him.

"She's my daughter," assured Cain, "She doesn't have to love everything I do but I do it for her."

"Yeah, you'll win the 'Father of the Year' award in Hell," spat Robin, "Nyssa will never let me live and who do you think she'll get to do her dirty work? Who's going to be the first person my girlfriend rips apart when I'm gone? It'll be you, tough guy."

"That's what I'm countin' on, kid," assured Cain sadly. Robin tried to turn and look at the man but couldn't. Was that David Cain's grand scheme? Was death by his daughter's hand all he really wanted?

"You might be the smartest person in this room," said Tim in surprise.

"Like that means a damn," retorted Cain as the duo followed Nyssa into the room where they had set up the computer interface. Robin quickly understood what Cass had meant earlier. The keypad was hidden by a mechanism that would only allow access if the correct person gave it a palm print. It didn't take someone of Tim's IQ to guess who the correct palm print belonged to.

"Type in the code," ordered Nyssa. Batgirl looked at Robin. She had done this once and she vowed never to do it again. She wasn't a monster like her father. She was a hero who saved people's lives. Unfortunately, saving lives always came with a price. She could either save the world and lose Tim or save Tim at the cost of everything else.

"I'm sorry," whispered Batgirl. Robin didn't look at her. She didn't expect him to. Batgirl took off her glove and placed her bare palm on the pad. The computer recognized her print and granted her access to the keypad. She typed in the password, the date that had started this whole journey into darkness. August 8th. 0808. It was the night she had killed for the first time. It was the night she had first looked into the gaping abyss of blackness that was death. She had been frightened of it and frightened of herself for seeing something in it that she liked. Batgirl turned and looked at Nyssa. She wondered what it would be like to just be the good daughter, to be Daddy's little girl and carry on the family name like some blind, ignorant clone of her parents. She knew she could never live like that.

"The countdown's started," stated Nyssa, "You've held up your end of this bargain very honorably, Cassandra. It's such a shame that you're now no longer useful to me." All eyes looked to Nyssa as the woman looked to David Cain, "Kill her."

"That wasn't part of our agreement," said Cain, "You said she wouldn't be harmed."

"You truly are a foolish, old man," stated Nyssa as she cracked her whip across the side of Cain's face, the strike drawing blood, "I decide what the terms are. I saved you from the abyss, you worthless ingrate, and now you'll do as I say!" Batgirl moved to strike but Cain held up his hand to stop her before she could move. Cain got back to his feet and gave Nyssa a cruel grin that made the woman shiver inside.

"That's the trouble with you al Ghuls," sneered Cain as he took out his gun, "You think that death is something to run and hide from. It's not so bad once you learn to live with it." Cain squeezed the trigger but something forced his arm upward, causing the shot to be buried in the darkness of the ceiling.

"No. More. Killing!" snarled Batgirl as she glared at her father sternly, "Please." Whatever sympathy the plea might've gotten from her father quickly vanished as Nyssa's boot collided with Batgirl's face.

"I kinda hate to interrupt this," pointed out Robin. Cain and Batgirl both looked to where Tim was being held with a knife to his throat by Shrike. The assassin was flanked by a couple dozen monks. Batgirl figured that they had been in the room waiting to make sure nothing unfortunate happened to their mistress.

"Kill them all!" ordered Nyssa. Cain and Batgirl looked to each other as the monks advanced.

"You think you can take out more o' these goons than yer old man can?" asked Cain as he gave his daughter a grin.

"No killing," ordered Batgirl.

"Heard ya the first time, Cassie," assured Cain, "C'mon, let's see how soft all that training from Batman's made you."

XXXXX

Tim Drake was not one to play hostage. The only reason he had been doing it up to this point was because he was biding his time and waiting for the right moment to figure a way out of this mess. He had been weighing his options but now too many new variables had been introduced into the equation. It was getting difficult for him to see a way out of this. Plus, there was the fact that a certifiable lunatic was holding a knife to his throat. That had a way of diverting one's attention.

"We always seem to end up together," said Robin, "My girlfriend will have some choice words to say about this."

"You're not gonna be around to hear 'em," assured Shrike as he pressed the knife closer to Tim's throat. Robin turned his attention back to the scene before him. He had always thought the way Batgirl moved was beautiful in a deadly and destructive way. Watching her fight beside her father was like watching a waterfall. Everything flowed smoothly into one, long stream of movement, each one of them picking up the other's slack. He could tell that Shrike was impressed by the display as well. That was going to be the key.

"Friendly advice," said Robin as he felt Shrike jerk him closer, "Make sure you kill the hostage before you stop to check out his girlfriend." Robin's heel suddenly came up and connected with Shrike's groin. This action loosened Shrike's grip long enough to allow Robin to ram his head backwards and into the assassin's face. Robin heard the strangely satisfying crack of a bone and knew that Shrike now had bigger problems besides hanging onto him.

"Maybe next time you'll learn," said Robin as Shrike sank to the floor. Tim quickly maneuvered himself so he could grab one of Shrike's knives and use it to cut himself free. Once that was done, he'd work on getting his belt back along with Batgirl's. Robin continued to watch the brawl as he rubbed the ropes against the blade of the knife. The Cain family seemed to have things under control. Robin inwardly grimaced at the fact that he was going to owe David Cain one. First thing they were all going to have to do was stop that countdown.

"Déjà vu," muttered Tim as he finally cut himself free, "You'd think villains would learn not to rip each other off." Robin stood up and quickly surveyed the situation. That moment with his back turned was all that Shrike required. Tim felt the assassin spin him around and ram his other blade right through Robin's stomach.

"You'd think superheroes would learn when to shut the hell up," spat Shrike as he stared into Robin's eyes. Tim opened his mouth but all that escaped was a gurgling sound and a rush of blood. Shrike yanked the knife out of Robin as the Boy Wonder fell to the floor. He quickly turned and jumped away before Batgirl's fist connected with his jaw. Cass had seen what had happened and now there was going to be Hell to pay.

"You're a dead man," assured Batgirl. She already knew how she was going to cripple Shrike. She wanted to make sure the man never moved a muscle again but she had to take care of Robin first. Batgirl knelt down and cradled Robin's body. There was blood, so much blood that it reminded her of that night in August. There was so much blood on her hands. Would it ever wash off?

"Tim," whispered Batgirl, "Get up." He had to get up because if he didn't then how could she keep fighting? She couldn't lose anyone else this way. Suddenly, Batgirl knew what to do. The clock was ticking and she knew she only had one option left. She wasn't going to let anyone else die.


	5. Father's Day

Family Affairs (Part Five)

By TheLostMaximoff

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters. After a semi-hectic weekend, I can finally get around to finishing this thing. Yes, this is the last part so make sure you R/R.

The clock was ticking. Literally. Cass could only deal with one crisis at a time though. She had to fix this one first. Batgirl had cornered one of the monks and had beaten the location of the Lazarus Pit out of him. Tim needed _her_ help now. She was the one who had been stupid and had gotten them in this mess to begin with. She hoped Nyssa didn't get smart and change the deactivation code for the countdown.

"My luck," mumbled Batgirl as the foul stench of arcane chemicals suddenly filled her nostrils and let her know she was there. She stared at the Lazarus Pit and shuddered as she remembered what it had been like to come out of that thing. It was like coming out of Hell itself. She approached the edge of the pit and took Robin's limp body off her shoulder, cradling it as she stared at his lifeless face. He had saved her and she would always love him for that. Now _she_ had to save _him_. Cassandra Cain knew what kind of twisted and corrupting effects the Lazarus Pits could have but she knew she would help Tim fight through them just as he had helped her.

"I need you," whispered Batgirl as she kissed Tim's forehead and then put him in the pit.

XXXXX

The first thing Tim Drake realized once he had enough consciousness to do so was that everything seemed to look a whole lot prettier when you were dead.

"Where?" asked Robin as he looked around and sat up. He didn't have his costume on. He was just wearing normal, Tim Drake attire. Tim looked around, marveling at how bright and colorful everything was. The grass was greener, the sky was bluer, everything felt more vibrant and alive than normal.

"We've been waiting for you, Wonder Boy." Tim knew that voice. He felt a pair of soft hands latch onto him and he turned to see Stephanie Brown lying beside him in the lush grass. Tim stared at her for a moment and honestly couldn't remember a time when she had looked more amazing. There wasn't a mark on her flawless skin and everything about her seemed to radiate beauty.

"Steph," breathed Tim as he looked into her clear, sparkling eyes, "God, you look good. I . . . where are we?"

"Home," replied Stephanie softly. Tim looked out at the park before him. There were some people he recognized but most he didn't. They all seemed quite content and happy. There was a slight problem though.

"Dead," whispered Tim, "They're all dead."

"So are you," assured Stephanie, "Relax, Tim, it's not bad. There's no hellfire or brimstone here. There're no gang wars or cosmic crises or even super-villains."

"It's . . . it's like a dream," said Tim as he exhaled and felt the weight of the world lifted from his weary shoulders.

"You gonna admire the scenery all day?" Tim knew that voice too. He looked over and saw Conner Kent approach him, his attire consisting of his trademark Superman shirt, jeans, and a leather jacket just for a touch of nostalgia.

"Kon," said Tim in surprise, "It's . . . this is all too weird."

"It was for all of us," admitted Conner, "Your dad's grilling some burgers. He heard you were coming and we wanted to make it special."

"I . . . I can't stay," said Tim quietly, "This isn't right."

"It doesn't matter now," assured Stephanie as she sat up with Tim, "You're here whether you want to be or not." Tim looked at Stephanie. He could be happy here, really he could. He could be happy without Gotham, happy without Bruce, happy without ever having to put on the Robin suit and be reminded of all the people he had lost to the Bat-family's war on crime. He was free, completely and totally free.

"I . . . I could learn to like it I guess," admitted Tim.

"You kinda have to," reminded Stephanie with a grin as she pulled him to his feet, "C'mon, you have to see your parents." Tim was about to walk with her when suddenly he felt something ache inside him. It was like he was on fire inside. He screamed in agony as his body burned, pushing Stephanie away. The fire consumed him, burning away all the brightness and beauty of whatever world he had been in. He howled in agony as he was ejected from the Lazarus Pit and returned to a world of grimy grayness. He was alive again and it only made him feel deader inside. He turned and saw Batgirl. This was _her_ fault.

"Put me back!" snarled Robin as he came at Batgirl, "I was happy there!" Batgirl took this declaration in stride. God knows the pit had a very unhealthy effect on her. She had continuously told herself that putting Tim in the pit wasn't the only step to getting him back. Now she was going to have to knock some sense into him.

"There's no time for this," assured Batgirl as she calmly blocked the punch Tim threw at her and twisted his arm behind his back, locking up his other arm at the same time so she could keep him still until he could calm down.

"Steph was there!" snapped Robin as he struggled against Cass's hold, "Conner was there!"

"I need you," whispered Batgirl, "If the code doesn't work . . . I need your skill."

"Everything I could've ever wanted was there," said Robin bitterly, "You stole it all from me."

"What about me?" asked Batgirl. Robin stopped struggling and shook his head. His brain felt like it was immersed in thick fog, in a toxic haze that warped his memories and his perceptions. He wasn't . . . he wasn't thinking straight.

"Cassie . . . I," said Robin, "I can't think." Everything was so dark here compared to where he had been before. No, that wasn't true. It . . . it had only seemed that way because that was what he wanted to believe. It was easy to believe that death was better than living in a world that had taken away all your loved ones. He couldn't let himself believe that though. He had made Cass see there was more to life than wanting to die. He had made her see that _this_ world could be beautiful too.

"Tim, we have to hurry," pressed Batgirl as she loosened her grip.

"I . . . I know," said Robin as he tried to steady himself and regain his bearings, "You go. I'll catch up."

"You sure?" asked Batgirl as she let him go completely.

"Go," ordered Robin shakily, "Thank you." Batgirl smiled at him before moving off towards the way she had come. Robin stared back at the Lazarus Pit and wondered just where he had been. Tim shook his head to clear the cobwebs, forcing himself to focus on the present. _This_ world was the one that needed him now.

XXXXX

He was running out of ammo. Of course, Cain had been picking his shots but still Nyssa seemed too agile for him. Cain supposed he would give her that.

"Pretty good," admitted Cain as Nyssa's whip cracked through the air and knocked the pistol from Cain's grasp. However, Nyssa just wasn't quick enough as Cain coiled the whip around his arm and yanked Nyssa towards him.

"Your daughter has made you weak," hissed Nyssa as she managed to duck the punch that Cain attempted to deliver and hit him in the stomach.

"Your father's done the same to you," retorted Cain as he took the punch in stride and backhanded Nyssa across the jaw. Cain quickly spun around and caught Shrike by the throat just as the assassin attempted to deliver a sneak attack.

"You made my little girl cry," said Cain as he stared into Shrike's eyes while he choked the life out of the man, "That wasn't very nice of you." Cain squeezed the air from Shrike's windpipe and raised his hand to block the slash he knew was coming. He tossed Shrike aside, grabbing the blade from him and turning to slice off a section of Nyssa's whip as the cord came back at him.

"I thought you were a man of honor," said Nyssa as she pulled out a pair of daggers and came at Cain.

"You wanted me to kill my own daughter," reminded Cain as he blocked one of the daggers with the knife he had stolen from Shrike. He kicked Nyssa's arm aside and swiped at her with the knife, going for the throat but falling short and only managing a slash across her chest.

"Again, your fatal flaw," sneered Nyssa as she kicked Cain in the jaw. Cain backed up and quickly moved as another kick came at him.

"Again, the pot's callin' the kettle black," jeered Cain as he caught Nyssa's leg and swept her other one out from under her. He jammed his boot down onto Nyssa's throat but quickly let up after Nyssa stabbed him in the leg with one of her daggers. Cain howled in agony as he staggered backwards, tumbling to the ground. Nyssa had little time to celebrate. Cain took Shrike's knife and tossed it overhand. The whirling object hit Nyssa in her shoulder, causing her to go down in pain. Cain pulled the dagger from his leg and looked around, crawling towards the body of a fallen monk. He used a piece of the man's clothing to bandage the wound and then looked around for something else he could use as a weapon. He knew he couldn't stay on the floor for too long. That toss had been a survival instinct, a stall tactic so that he could buy some time.

"You delay the inevitable," assured Nyssa as she slowly stalked towards him.

"Says Ra's al Ghul's daughter," muttered Cain as he saw his gun nearby and crawled for it. He could almost reach it when Nyssa's foot came down on his wrist.

"It is time we end this dance, old man," said Nyssa coldly as she raised the knife she had pulled from her shoulder, "You were a worthy adversary."

"Too bad I can't say the same," replied Cain with a grin. A hand quickly grabbed Nyssa's wrist before the League leader could land the killing blow. Batgirl's foot slammed into the back of Nyssa's knee twice, nearly crippling the woman and forcing her to the ground.

"Forget me," ordered Cain as Cass moved to help him up, "Stop the clock." Batgirl nodded and moved towards the computer terminal. Nyssa quickly regained her footing and sprang, grappling Cass from behind.

"Your father is a fool," hissed Nyssa in Cass's ear, "Don't throw away this chance. You can live forever with us."

"It won't be worth it," assured Batgirl as she flipped Nyssa over her and down onto the floor. Nyssa viciously kicked Batgirl in the stomach and then swiped at her with the other dagger she still possessed.

XXXXX

It had taken him a few minutes to rifle through the unconscious bodies of the initiates before he had found the missing utility belts. Robin was starting to feel naked without his. He idly wondered if Cass felt the same way and then automatically knew she didn't. She hardly ever used her belt anyway. She preferred fists and feet over gadgetry.

"You stuck a knife in my gut," said Robin as he came up behind Shrike and put his hands over him, pressing his bo against the assassin's throat, "You know, if I did the same to you you'd be getting off easy." Shrike didn't have a retort as Robin managed to choke him into unconsciousness. Tim then turned his attention to where Nyssa and Batgirl were still going at it. He quickly attached a grappling line to the ceiling and used it to vault up and over the dueling women so he could get to the computer terminal.

"O," said Robin into his communicator as he began punching the keyboard and checked the clock, "I need your help."

"Where in God's name have you been?" asked Oracle, "I've had everyone out all night looking for you and Batgirl."

"Dead," answered Robin simply, "Look, I don't think I can crack the security on this thing by myself. Help me." Robin pulled a device out of his belt and plugged it into the computer terminal. The device served two purposes. First of all, it would create a door so that Oracle could get access to the League's computer network. Second of all, it had a program on it that would start hacking the password system on the countdown program's security so that he and Barbara could do a little rerouting. Frankly, Tim was tired of the satellite network even existing in the first place. That chemical concoction was too dangerous for anyone's hands.

"I'm in" said Oracle, "What're you thinking?"

"Blow up the satellites," replied Tim simply as he continued to pound on the keyboard, "It's not enough to crash the whole network and deactivate them. I want this nightmare over with for good."

"I'm slogging my way through the satellite security," assured Oracle, "Electrical overload?"

"Give it everything you've got," ordered Robin. The device he was using was done hacking into the interface and Robin quickly stopped the countdown program.

"Back in my day," said Cain as he managed to get back to his feet, "we didn't have to deal with this crap."

"Don't think your little change of heart means I'm not going to take you in," said Robin as he turned to Cain.

"The way I see it," said Cain as he held up his gun, "You'll be busy with other things." Robin ducked as Cain fired and emptied his clip into the computer. The terminal sparked and sputtered, some of the access panels blowing out completely.

"What was that?" asked Oracle, "Was that Cain talking?"

"Later," muttered Robin as he quickly moved away from the terminal, "Are you still in the grid?"

"Yeah, no problem there," assured Oracle, "I've got this covered, R." Robin nodded. He knew Oracle could do her job.

"You think I'll let you walk because I'll be too busy with this?" asked Robin as he gestured to the scrap-pile that was the terminal, "It's not gonna happen, Cain."

"It ain't me you should be worried about," reminded Cain, "I wouldn't worry too much, Timmy. Sure I could kill you any time I wanted to but we both know that would make Cassie pretty sad. Besides, after tonight I don't think it'll matter much."

XXXXX

Nyssa would've been good if she was fighting a normal person. Unfortunately, she was squaring off against Cassandra Cain, which meant that being "good" wasn't going to cut it.

"Give it up," ordered Batgirl as she hit Nyssa in the face again, "I'm getting bored."

"I'll come back," assured Nyssa with a cruel grin, "You even killed me and I still came back. I'll keep coming after you again and again and again. Next time, he might not be so lucky."

"I'll stop you," stated Batgirl, "Always. You'll never win." She knew there wasn't a huge amount of difference between her and Nyssa. All that remained was a choice, a choice to walk in the light or dance in the darkness. On any given day, Cass could become Nyssa or become Cain. That was _her_ choice to make though and she chose to walk a different path. She couldn't choose whose blood she had in her veins but she could choose whether or not she became enslaved by the legacy of her parents as Nyssa had by her father's.

"_I_ choose," stated Batgirl as she knocked Nyssa out cold, "It's _my_ life." Batgirl looked up from Nyssa and saw Robin in a standoff with her father.

"We need to get out of here," said Robin as he moved towards Batgirl, "Your father shot up the terminal and now it's probably going to blow."

"You two leave," ordered Cain, "I told you before that it wasn't going to matter. When this thing goes it'll take me and Nyssa with it."

"No," stated Batgirl as she grabbed Nyssa's body, "You're coming with us." Robin could see that Cain was going to argue with this. He quickly hit the older man with a couple tangle bombs to tie him up and then grabbed Cain while Batgirl took Nyssa. The young heroes quickly hauled the two League members out of the room and made it for the exit.

"All that alcohol made you fat," muttered Robin, "You weigh a ton."

"Yer a dead man, kid," assured Cain, "I told you ta leave me and Nyssa behind. We've caused you and Cassie enough pain already."

"Yeah well you know the mood Cass gets in about killing," replied Robin, "You wanna take it up with her? Be my guest." Cain muttered a few curses under his breath. He couldn't believe his daughter was willing to risk her life for him after all he had done to her. He didn't know whether or not he should be grateful. Robin and Batgirl made their way out of the building before the computer terminal exploded and managed to catch the whole building on fire. They quickly vaulted into the night sky via grappling hooks and deposited their cargo on a nearby rooftop.

"You talk, I'll hang," said Robin as he moved to tie up Nyssa. This left Batgirl with her father.

"Too much ta ask that ya get me outta this crap?" asked Cain as he gestured to the sticky goo he was still entangled in.

"You look fine to me," replied Batgirl with a grin.

"You could've left me fer dead," reminded Cain, "God knows I deserve for what I've done, Cassie. Why didn't you?"

"You're my father," replied Cass simply as she pulled back her cowl so he could look her in the eye.

"I meant what I said," assured Cain, "I'm proud of you, Cassie. You stick with the kid. He'll take care of you."

"I love you," said Batgirl as she saw that Robin was finished and the duo was ready to depart.

"Love you too, darlin'," assured Cain, "Now go." Batgirl nodded as she put her mask back on and she and Robin departed.

XXXXX

At this point, Tim wanted nothing more than to collapse into his bed and sleep for at least a full day. It took almost all his remaining strength just to swing home with Batgirl. As soon as he managed to make it to his bed, Robin fell into it. There was a rustle of movement as Cass peeled off her costume, leaving herself in her underwear, before she joined Tim in bed.

"Long night," mumbled Tim as he looked at Cass. Oracle had told him about the satellites. She had managed to create a system overload that fried the entire grid, causing all the satellites to explode. Their poisonous cargo had been incinerated during said explosion. All was as it should be now.

"Yeah," agreed Cass sleepily, the battle fatigue starting to finally set in. She felt the weariness in her muscles slowly drag her towards sleep.

"Cassie," said Tim quietly, "I didn't . . . that stuff I said to you after the pit."

"Sssh," whispered Cass as she put a finger to his lips, "I know. Just go to sleep." She lazily let her arm drape across his chest and felt her eyes get heavy. Tim pulled her closer and the two of them drifted off to sleep together. There were no words of passion. There was no exchange of "I love you" and "I love you too" because it wasn't required. Both of them already knew they loved one another and that nothing would change that. All they needed was just the assuring closeness of the other's body to let them know that they were never alone. That was all the "I love you" they could ever need.

XXXXX

"I had heard you were dead." Cain had finally managed to get himself free from the sticky goo he was trapped in. He was in the process of figuring out how to slip away while his injured leg severely hampered his movement. That was when Lady Shiva had chosen to make her presence known. He didn't know at first why she was here. He hadn't spoken to her since they had parted ways after he took Cassandra. That was part of their agreement.

"You know me, Sandra," said Cain with a rueful smile, "I don't go down without a fight." Shiva snorted and gave Cain a smirk. She should've known that he was too stubborn to really die.

"You'll be interested to know that, as of five minutes ago, it's Father's Day," said Shiva, "Should I expect this type of thing next year for Mother's Day?" Cain laughed and shook his head. He had forgotten that Fate had a cruel sense of humor when it came to him and his family.

"You'll be happy to know our daughter's in good hands," said Cain, "He's a good kid. He can't fight worth crap but still he's a good kid."

"He never could," assured Shiva with a shake of her head and a small grin, "Perhaps, though, she will turn out better than we have. Here, to treat your wounds." Shiva tossed Cain a pouch that she removed from her belt.

"I knew there was a reason I loved you," said Cain as he took the pouch, "You came back to Gotham just to pay your respects to the great and powerful David Cain?"

"Please," snorted Shiva as she turned to leave, "I was simply amazed that you were finally going to die. I do not owe you anything, David. Our bargain was finished a long time ago."

"Of course," replied Cain with a nod, "You woulda been proud of her tonight, Sandra. We have an incredible daughter."

"I know," replied Shiva simply as she turned and smiled at Cain, "I know." Parents wish many things for their children. It's been said that having a child makes parents realize their own faults or limitations for they come to see them in their children. However, that never means parents stop wanting their children to mirror their own successes. In some cases, the child will live up to those successes but in other cases, children will carve out their own paths and surpass their parents. It is this act, this quest for identity and individuality, that signifies the transition from child to adult and, regardless of the child _or_ the parents, it is this self-fulfillment and maturation that is a parent's single greatest joy to watch unfold.

The End

(Author's Note): This is the final chapter to the final piece of the trilogy. I may write a few oneshots based off of this continuity but for now I consider this a finished masterpiece. My deepest thanks to all those who reviewed this one as well as Shadowboxing and Double or Nothing. I wasn't really sure how far this was going to go but I'm glad I did it this way. Again, thank you for all the praise.


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